Store at center of gaming debate

ELYRIA — An Amherst store that operates gaming machines at the center of a legal debate over the difference between games of chance and games of skill wants a county judge to issue an order preventing law enforcement from closing down its business.

In its lawsuit, filed Thursday in county Common Pleas Court, Thrill of Skill argued that it has the right to operate the machines without interference from police and named Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, county Sheriff Phil Stammitti and Amherst police Chief Lonnie Dillon as defendants.

Dann has been trying to close a legal loophole designed to allow children’s arcade games in a state law banning gambling machines, but proponents contend games such as Tic Tac Fruit are games of skill, not chance.